Moonlight
by Silver-griffin
Summary: erm...please, r&r...anything is welcomed, I guess...O.o...Inu seems to chose kikyo...so kagome turns to someone....


a/n...alright, look, I hate Kikyo as much as ever TRUE inuyasha fan does, so, I've righted the mistakes I made before. please enjoy...  
  
The moon rose later than usual, that night, or perhaps the thick blanket of fog obscured her birth as she crested the peaks of the mountains. Her pale, ghastly face shone down through a window in the fog, casting a thin glimmer upon a young woman who sat by a well. She gazed at the moon with rapt attention, as though waiting for something, someone. A strong breeze picked up her scent and carried it down the hill to where three people sat huddled around a campfire, but none of them paid any attention to her. She pushed a lock of jet-black hair behind one ear, and sighed gently, anxiety building inside of her faster than a bomb. She never blinked; she never looked away from the moon. She just sat there, motionless, waiting. Her thoughts drifted back to a time many years past, when she had sat under such a moon, waiting not whom she awaited now, but another lover...  
She tried to force her mind away from such thoughts, but sleep had her in his cold grasp, and the almost tangible warmth of the moon's glow had lulled her into a deep haze, and her lids closed from their own accord. She opened her mouth slightly, and a word, a name sprang from her lips; the name drifted down the hill to the company encircling the fire where a certain man sat, cursing himself as her scent danced through his nostrils, making his body ache. He cursed to himself as his sensitive ears caught her words, the words she had spoken before falling into a dream of nightmares...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A young man stood in the shadows, watching the figure dancing closer to him, aware of the heady scent of sake. She had a bow strapped to her back by the quiver, but the robbers lurking in the shadows were safe from them; she was too drunk to remember her own name, much less fire an arrow with the accurate precision she was prone to display. And he knew that. He watched as the five men bunched their muscles to attack her, darting out with barred teeth and claws, slicing them to shreds, before they even broke the tree line and set foot on the rode.  
His claws were stained in blood; their blood and his was smeared along his torso, visible through the gash in his robe. He cursed bitterly as the scent of the dead men's blood and sweat reached his nose, and tried to wipe his claws off on one of their tunics. His claws were clean of blood, but not the scent; his torso still was stained with red and black blood, mingling to form an unholy medium. He jumped slightly when a gently hand touched his shoulder.  
"You did not have to same me, Inuyasha. I was well aware they were there." Kikyo turned Inuyasha around to face him, and met his gaze with her calm, emotionless one. "I was merely waiting to steal there-to teach them a lesson once they attacked me. You should not have interfered, Inuyasha." She released her grip on his shoulder and began to turn away. She stopped abruptly, and her hands went to Inuyasha's chest where the blood was smeared. She started to untie Tetsusaiga from around his neck, and placed it on the ground by their feet before pulling his shirt off down to his waist.  
She stood on her tiptoes and spoke into Inuyasha's ear, speaking breathily, "Come with me, Inuyasha. I will reward you for saving me, if you so desire." She chose her words carefully, knowing full well that all Inuyasha felt at the moment was desire. She reached down, took his hand in hers, and pulled him along after her. "I will clean you, then you may do with me what you wish, my Hanyou." She grinned as Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat.  
She pulled Inuyasha into a clearing that lay hidden in the thick forest, sensing the presence of one she despised above all. That girl, Kagome, was lurking in the forest somewhere, and she would fall into Kikyo's trap as she had intended. Kagome could not steal Inuyasha from her, as she was so close to doing; Kagome would have to be taught a lesson about where Inuyasha's true loyalties lie.  
Kikyo pushed Inuyasha onto the grass forcefully, capturing his mouth with hers as she did so, making sure to breathe first, blocking out Kagome's scent with the thick smell of cheap liquor. She and Inuyasha kissed until time stood still, and breathing mattered no longer. Her closed eyes opened, and she saw Kagome standing, hiding, behind some trees, watching them with dark eyes, greatly contrasted by the paleness of her face. Kikyo allowed her hands to roam over Inuyasha's body, grinning to herself as Kagome gasped and turned away. She could hear the hanyou confess his love, though her fingers were plugged tightly in her ears as she ran away.  
She tripped over a tree, twisting her ankle as she ran, but unaware of the pain coursing through her body as she struggled to keep the tears back. She failed. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"He told her he loved her! And then they starting kissing and they-" ::He told ME he loved ME this morning, and tonight we were going to consummate our love as soon as he returned from the trek he had embarked upon:: She clasped a feminine hand over her mouth as a crimson blush spread across her face once the words registered in her mind. She looked away from Sango and Miroku who had their faces disturbingly close to hers; her hand fell away as tears covered the place it had once been. "It's just not fair. I love him-loved him. It's not fair."  
Miroku and Sango stared at each other blankly and both shrugged, turning back to Kagome; Sango placed a reassuring hand on Kagome's shoulder, and gave her a tight squeeze. "Cheer, up Kagome." She smiled faintly, and tried not to display the anger and disgust she felt towards Inuyasha now. Sango turned her back on Sango and grabbed Miroku's shoulder, guiding him to a clearing far away from Kagome, leaving her sobbing by the fire. Sango did not fail to notice Shippou curled up in her lap cuddling with her.  
"Miroku, what should we do? This is serious. Kagome saw Inuyasha and Kikyo have-"  
Miroku placed a gloved finger over her pink lips and shook his head stiffly. "Something tells me there's more to this story than we know about. This doesn't sound like something Inuyasha would do. We should just stay out of this and let it run its course." Sango's eyes narrowed in a glare and Miroku once again shook his head. "No, I don't think we should leave Kagome alone, not like this. We should-and will-comfort her, I'm only saying we shouldn't mention this to Inuyasha." Sango nodded and they turned around, surprise widening their eyes as the conversation taking place reached their ears.  
"-it isn't okay, Shippou." "Of course it's not, Kagome." His squeaky, falsetto voice visibly calmed Kagome as much as his perturbed face did. She ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it as she did so. "How could that stupid Inuyasha do such a thing to you, Kagome? You deserve so much more than that. I'll go show him what he deserves for treating MY Kagome like that. How could he do that to someone we both love?" Shippou stopped miming punishing Inuyasha, and clamped his hand over his mouth as a blush spread across his tiny face. "Er...em...uh...heh..." Kagome picked Shippou up and kissed him on his cheek, a faint blush dotting the faces of them both. "You're so sweet, Shippou!" She set him on the ground and sighed, staring at the moon hanging in the sky like a glistening tear on the face of the sky. A sliver of moonlight danced in her eyes, and she seemed to glow with an ethereal glow. "Why couldn't you be a little older, Shippou?" Sango and Miroku turned to look at each other, tilting their heads in wonder. Sango turned towards Kagome and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Come on, Kagome. Let's get to bed, alright?" Kagome nodded emotionlessly, and pushed herself to her feet, following Sango to where their bedrolls lay. Shippou curled up on the warm spot Kagome's body had left behind on the rock. Miroku followed the girls behind, preparing himself for sleep as he did so, casting a wary glance at the little Kitsune curled into a tight ball, deep in sleep already. Miroku sunk into his bedroll, his mind eagerly awaiting the harem of his dreams. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Silence hung over the clearing as the fire burned itself to nothingness, leaving the tiny bits of movement in the shadows nearly unnoticed. The faint click as a twig snapped high on the branches echoed throughout the silent clearing, causing the one who snapped the wood to cringe. He crept through the limbs of the looming trees as silently as possible, wincing every time he breathed, sure his faintest noise would awaken those who slumbered beneath him. He dropped from the trees as silently as possible, and walked over to where Kagome lay sleeping. His breathe, as faint as it was, caught in his throat as his eyes skimmed over her body, drinking in the subtle curves of her thigh, thanking the gods she had kicked the blanket off only her leg, and left the rest of her covered. He tried to shy away from the memory of Kikyo as she seduced him, using a potent drug she had inserted in her mouth before kissing him to make him mindlessly love her. Then she had stripped him of all clothes, and he had nearly stepped over the threshold of all boundaries when he caught the scent of saltwater in the air. He had shoved Kikyo away and sniffed deeply, trying to identify the familiar scent that lingered in the air, cursing Kikyo for the fog that blocked his mind from grasping the thought that loomed so close to him. KAGOME! He has shouted it as loud as possible, praying the woman would hear him, knowing she would know return to him even if she had. He turned to Kikyo; hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga as he began to slide it out of its sheath, a malicious grin spreading across his face. "You'll die, bitch. No matter what I promise, no matter what I said, you can never do this to me! You couldn't have loved me once if you kill me every chance you get! Twice, Kikyo! Twice you've killed me! My body has died at your hands, and now my heart! It is your turn, bitch!" He was surprised at how pleased the words had made him, and he lifted the fur-handled sword above his head, swinging it menacingly. Kikyo backed away, her already deadly pale face seeming to glow a ghastly silver as the tiny pigments of color drained from her face in fear. Without a breath of warning, a large figure appeared out of nowhere, and stood between Inuyasha and Kikyo, jaws snapping and froth splattering Inuyasha's face. "Dammit to hell, and just the time, too." He arched his back, and circled the demon, disgusted by the animal's scent, the equivalent stench of rotten meat, making him want to wretch on the ground by his feet, but the demon stood between him and the bitch. He leapt at the thickly furred demon, and thrust (3) his sword into the demon's flesh over and over, until the horned demon lay still and motionless. He wiped his arm across his forehead as he turned to face Kikyo. "Damn," he yelled as he looked where she had stood. She was gone. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shippou watched Inuyasha as he stood over Kagome, preparing himself to-do something, but he was not quite sure yet. Inuyasha had given up claims to Kagome by sleeping with Kikyo-though what was wrong with sleeping with somebody was something he did not understand; he slept with Kagome all the time. He sighed gently, thankful that the he was downwind from Inuyasha, and his change in breathing would go unnoticed, or so he thought. Inuyasha turned towards Shippou and stared at the Kitsune for an undeterminable amount of time that stretched throughout all eternity. Shippou was overjoyed when Inuyasha jumped into the trees to watch Kagome from a distance.  
Shippou opened his palm, and stared at the Jewel shard he had held tightly within his clenched paw, feeling a wave of guilt swarm over him when he realized that Kagome would have to wait four more years to be able to return home for good. But he had made up his mind long ago to visit Kagome's world, where time passed more quickly. Then he would be a full- grown Youkai, and he would be able to "woo" her and express the love he had felt for so long.  
He wished he could have told his beloved that he was leaving, but if he did, Inuyasha would know he was leaving. Inuyasha would not let him do something so foolish, he knew. He had held a piece of Kagome's paper and her against his heart in case such an occasion arose. He quickly scrawled a note on the paper and placed it on the boulder, placing a tiny rock over it so that it would not blow away in the gentle night breeze. He cast a nervous glance at the sleeping Kagome before scampering off and disappearing into the night.  
His heart beat along with the thumping of his paws as he ran for the well, trying to push the visions of Kagome's face dancing his mind, knowing mere thoughts could keep him in this world. He blinked back tears of sorrow-how could he watch Inuyasha break Kagome's heart over and over again, expecting her love to forgive him? He had to do something. Kagome deserved better. She deserved him. With that final thought, he jumped into the well.  
"I love you, Kagome." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When she awoke in the morning, a note lay on the rock she had sat upon last night as she had wept. Her heart began to break as she thought about what had happened, but it was shattered by the curiosity she felt as she read the signature first:  
I love you, Kagome.  
She dropped to her knees, not noticing the shredding noise from her skirt as it tore on her shoes. She read the note, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
Deer Kagome,  
i luv u. im going thru the wel. ill be bak sun. wen i get bak, ill b a man.  
I love you, Kagome.  
shippou  
ps. mete me n 4 yers bi the wel at midnit. ill mak u mine.  
Kagome sank to her knees, joy and relief spreading through her as she realized the feelings she had been hiding from herself. She loved Shippou as much-more-than she had ever loved Inuyasha, and the four years she would have to spend with the hanyou she despised would be worth it, if only she could be with Shippou when the long years were over. She reached into her backpack, pulling out something to make breakfast, humming faintly when a clawed hand reached out and took the things from her. She lifted her eyes, half expecting to see a grown Shippou already, anger filling her as she realized who it was.  
She turned her back abruptly, and stormed away from Inuyasha who called after her. She did not pause or hesitate as she stormed off towards the river to wash her face. Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo. She had won, hadn't she? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
With a jolt, she awoke, her awareness snapping her back to the well. "No," Kagome ordered herself as her thoughts raced back to the night she had found Kikyo with Inuyasha right before they had...::Serves you right, one part of her said, Inuyasha told you to wait until he got back. If you only had listened, you would have not seen him betray you as he had:: Kagome tried to blame herself for what she had seen, but to no avail; Inuyasha had told Kagome he had loved her for the first time that day, and he had left, promising her he would return and spend some time together, entertaining her with his...charms.  
::And Kikyo stole that from me!:: She jerked her mind away from such thoughts, and stared at the moon with furious intensity, shivering as a jolt of nervousness flashed through her. That night, she had waited for Inuyasha to come to her, to be with her, but tonight, tonight she waited for someone else, someone who had loved her before anyone else. He had promised her his love for eternity, and he would prove it to her tonight. If she could only wait.  
A faint humming came from behind her, and the well began to glow, faintly at first, then sending out lightning bolts of white as a young man stepped out of the well, and took Kagome in his arms. His mouth sought hers and found it, capturing her lips and holding her captive as they shared their first kiss together. Their breaths mingled as hands roamed over bodies in a frantic search for relief. At last, he was here! She broke off the kiss and giggled faintly at the surprised look on his beautiful face.  
She grabbed his face in her cupped palms and studied the gentle contours of his features, a faint warmth alighting in her body as she understood-truly understood-that what had happened was for the best. She reached up hesitantly and ran a hand through his flame-red hair, grinning as his green eyes rolled in frustration. She pressed her lips against his quickly, teasing him, daring him to ask for more. He was more than willing to seek what he wanted, but it was not yet time.  
She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her; aware of their combined scents wafting back to the three surrounding the fire. Kagome had been awaiting his return for four years and had found the place she would remain with him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by her mouth on his as they sank to the ground. He placed his clawed hands behind her head and gazed into her eyes, drinking in her image, joy coursing through his body. He kissed her gently.  
"I love you, my sweet Kagome. I've returned to you." He kissed her passionately, the silver moonlight glittering in his eyes, reflecting off his eyes filled with only love for her.  
"I love you, as well," she said when they parted for air. "Shippou..." 


End file.
